Housing Supply Challenge: Round 3 - Northern Access

Bonita Nowell

Bonita Nowell is an award-winning collaborator, public policy and post-secondary program manager, a seasoned professional and Northern subject matter expert in public procurement, supply chain management and program management, demonstrated by her experience and professional designations as Certified Professional Purchaser (C.P.P) and Supply Chain Management Professional (SCMP). She is a family historian and a sixth generation Indigenous Northerner,

Bonita achieves success for organizations with compassion and a personal standard of excellence. She maintains professional memberships with Supply Chain Canada and the Project Management Institute, and draws upon her creative strengths in planning activities. In addition, Ms. Nowell is a leader in the supply chain management profession in Canada, representing the three Northern Territories as President of Supply Chain Canada Northern Territories Institute and as a member of the Federation Council.

Her story is featured in the October 2021 issue of Supply Professional Magazine https://www.supplypro.ca/digital-archive/october-2021/

Dr. Boualem Ouazia

Dr. Boualem Ouazia is a Senior Research Officer at the National Research Council Canada, with a strong expertise in the areas of residential and commercial buildings HVAC, ventilation and indoor air quality (IAQ). He has led several research and applied R&D projects (>45 projects) related to HVAC systems, Ventilation/air distribution systems, heat and energy recovery ventilation systems, Northern housing, thermal comfort, field intervention and monitoring techniques. Dr. Ouazia has been a community infrastructure thrust lead for NRC’s Arctic Program (2015-2020) to lead research related to ventilation of Northern Housing, and now he is the housing technical lead for the new NRC’s Arctic and Northern Challenge program. Dr. Ouazia is very active on the national and international stage through a robust record of publications as well as a full range of technology transfer activities.

Gerald Anderson

Gerald has over 40 years experience working with the federal government, industry, and the Marine Institute of Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador. In 2018, Gerald retired from the position of Director of Development and Engagement with the Marine Institute (Vice-President’s Office) with responsibility for business development, government relations, public engagement, northern affairs (circumpolar), aboriginal affairs, and alumni affairs and advancement (fundraising).

Gerald has traveled extensively with the Marine Institute, including in Canada’s north, all circumpolar countries, the United States, Europe, Asia, Africa (limited), Central America, South America and the Caribbean. From 2015 until retiring in 2018 Gerald served as Vice-President (Indigenous) with the University of the Arctic, a network university with 180 members.

In 2015, Gerald was the recipient of the Indspire Award (formally called the National Aboriginal Leadership Award). Gerald is an Ambassador with the Arctic Inspiration Prize. Gerald has expertise in Board Governance having served and continuing to serve on several Boards. Gerald just finished a five-year term with the Board of Polar Knowledge Canada, and is currently a member of the Board of Smart Ice, and a Commissioner with the Independent Appointments Commission of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Oliver Drerup

Oliver Drerup is among the most experienced experts both domestically and internationally in promoting innovation and best practices in the design, construction and renovation of housing. He has spent more than five decades challenging conventional industry practices and championing better methods to create more energy efficient, comfortable, healthier and durable homes. Extensive international experience with a demonstrated ability to work effectively and creatively with builders, developers, industry and professional associations, research organizations, different levels of government, regulatory agencies and educational institutions.

Oliver is a founding member of the Board of Directors of the Cold Climate Housing Research Centre in Fairbanks, Alaska as well as an original trainer for The Alaska Craftsman Home Program. He has delivered building projects and training courses throughout the Canadian North. Most recently, Oliver has been involved in a housing needs assessment for the Government of Nunatsiavut.

Stephen van Dine

Stephen Van Dine is Senior Vice President of Public Sector Governance at the lOG. ln his role, responsible for overseeing the IOG's broad public sector governance practice, which includes governance advisory, research on public governance principles and practices and instruction.

Born in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Stephen attended high school in the Northwest Territories and began his career as a community planner with the City of Yellowknife and later with the Government of the Northwest Territories, Department of Municipal and Community Affairs. ln 1997, he began working at lndigenous and Northern Affairs Canada's Yellowknife Regional Office, transferring to the National Capital Region in 2002. Since then, Stephen has led a number of program, policy, and legislative sustainable development initiatives with respect to Northern governance, the Arctic, the Devolution of Land and Resource Management Responsibilities in the Northwest Territories, the implementation and modification of the Nutrition North Canada program, and the lnuit Nunangat Declaration. Stephen also oversaw the construction of the Canadian High Arctic Research Station, and supported the legislation to establish Polar Knowledge Canada. He served as Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada’s Champion for the Committee of Aboriginal and Native Employment. More recently, Stephen has been working on a long term asset sustainability strategy for Parks Canada Agency along with overseeing critical corporate functions with respect to information Technology, Cabinet, and Regulatory Business, Asset Management, and Security.

Stephen holds a Master’s in Public Administration from Queen’s University and a degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Ryerson University. Stephen recently completed an Executive Certificate in Energy and the Environment from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Shashi Shahi, Ph.D.

Dr. Shashi Shahi’s research focuses on Supply Chain and Operations Management issues of the Canadian industry, with particular emphasis on handling the supply and demand uncertainties using simulation-based optimization models. Dr. Shahi specializes in integrating the entire supply chain and studies the impact of sustainable supply chain management practices on firm performance. His research work on sustainable supply chain management with First Nation communities focuses on developing renewable energy simulation models for their economic development, ensuring environmental sustainability and societal acceptance. Dr. Shahi has developed bootstrap data envelopment analysis operations management models for analyzing the relative technical efficiencies and understanding the intra-industry meta-frontiers in the Canadian industries. His current research focuses on integrating the quantitative and qualitative sustainable supply chain management models with artificial neural networks for the best performance modeling of the industry. At Yukon University, Dr. Shahi works on solving unique northern business problems, supporting local innovation, increasing student research capacity, and building a stronger, more resilient North. He has developed Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) models, Vector Error Correction (VEC) models, and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) models for manpower demand forecasting in the Yukon Territory.

Sheila Downer

Sheila Downer (Masters Technology Management Candidate (2022), Memorial University of Newfoundland) has lived and worked in Labrador for more than 37 years and is a strong advocate for the development of rural, Northern and coastal communities. Ms. Downer has worked as part of a team throughout Labrador to build local knowledge, skills and effective tools to support the way people live, work and do business in Northern communities, and she has been actively involved in a wide range of community, regional and international organizations. Ms. Downer’s work has primarily been focused in Labrador’s municipal, business, education, health, tourism and regional development sectors and has been supported with experience in providing project partnership, regional network development and ICT services internationally. She currently works with the Memorial University of Newfoundland’s Harris Centre and Office of Public Engagement as the Strategic Northern Liaison, and she also serves as the Vice President of Finance, Development and Engagement for the University of the Arctic. Ms. Downer has been recognized as one of Atlantic Canada’s Top 50 CEOs and is an active leader in many volunteer capacities on a local, regional and provincial basis, including SmartIce, International Grenfell Association, Labrador North Chamber of Commerce and University of PEI Institute of Island Studies Advisory Board.

Carly van de Pol

Carly is an accomplished Supply Chain Professional with 20+ years of work experience in diversity of industries. Her current focus is helping start-ups set up their supply chain processes and assist established companies in identifying and implementing efficiency improvements. Carly holds a Master’s in Business Administration, Bachelor of International Business and is certified in Logistics, Transportation and Distribution from APICS. Located in Grande Prairie, Alberta, she enjoys hiking in the beautiful Rocky Mountains and kayaking in the many lakes in the area.